Trident

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of extending the service life of a Vanguard Class submarine by  (a) one year and  (b) each of the subsequent four years after its original decommissioning date.

Liam Fox: As the 2006 White Paper 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994) made clear, we will extend the life of the Vanguard Class beyond its original decommissioning date by five years to deliver a service life of 30 years. To achieve that five year extension will require three additional Long Overhaul Periods (LOPs). Planning is at an early stage but initial estimates suggest this will cost around £1.3 billion between 2014 and 2024.

Trident

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to publish the Initial Gate Business Case for the Trident Successor programme once it has been approved; and whether he will publish a summary of the expected costs of the Successor programme following such approval.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Katy Clark) on 12 July 2010,  Official Report, column 447W.

Bible: Anniversaries

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to mark the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the King James Bible in 2011.

Edward Vaizey: The Department is not planning to mark this anniversary. However, the British Library plans to highlight the linguistic contribution of the King James Bible in its exhibition on the English language, 'Evolving English', scheduled for November 2010 to April 2011 in London. They plan to feature a first edition from 1611 as a star exhibit.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of OFCOM's performance in discharging its duties under the Digital Economy Act 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: I have been asked to reply 
	in my capacity as a Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	This Department is in regular contact with Ofcom about their work on developing the Code of Practice known as "The Online Copyright Infringement Initial Obligations Code". The making of the code by order requires the consent of the Secretary of State and the code will be laid before Parliament, before coming into force. Under section 126D (2) (b) of the Communications Act 2003 Ofcom have been notified that the code must be made by 31 March 2011. I have every expectation that Ofcom will be able to meet that deadline.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the cost to his Department and its non-departmental public bodies of implementing and monitoring compliance with legislation transposing EU requirements in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: Compliance with EU requirements is part of the mainstream activity of the Department, and, where appropriate, its arms length bodies.
	There are however no records of the costs to the Department in implementing and monitoring compliance with EU requirements. As such no reasonable estimate can be made, save at disproportionate cost.

Employment: Legislation

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what employment legislation his Department is responsible; and what progress his Department has made on the Government's review of employment law.

Norman Baker: Department for Transport officials are collating information on all employment law that affects the transport sector. This work has had to follow more immediate priorities in the reducing regulation agenda and will be developed in conjunction with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Transport: Finance

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he made of transport spending per head in  (a) England,  (b) the UK,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the North West,  (f) the West Midlands and  (g) the North East in 2008-09.

Norman Baker: The HM Treasury annual publication Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) details identifiable transport expenditure per head for 2008-09 as follows:
	  (a) England: £314;
	 (b) the UK £334;
	 (c) Yorkshire and the Humber £248;
	 (d) London £641;
	 (e) the North West £287;
	 (f) the West Midlands £259; and
	 (g) the North East £234.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has made an estimate of the change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department since May 2010; and what steps he plans to take to meet his Department's target of reducing such emissions by 10 per cent. by May 2011.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, the Cabinet Office has reduced the carbon emissions from its estate by 9.1% compared to the same period last year. The Department is currently taking forward a series of projects aimed at further reducing its carbon footprint, and meeting the target. These include measures such as the installation of voltage optimisation kit, power factor correction and improving the insulation of buildings on the estate.

Public Sector Debt: Interest Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the proportion of gross domestic product used to pay interest on the national debt  (a) between 1980 and 1990,  (b) between 2000 and 2006 and  (c) between 2006 and 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking what estimate he has made of the proportion of gross domestic product used to pay interest on the national debt (a) between 1980 and 1990, (b) between 2000 and 2006 and (c) between 2006 and 2010.
	For the purposes of your question, we have interpreted 'interest on the national debt' to mean interest and dividends paid by all parts of the public sector, including local authorities and public corporations. Statistics for the 2010 calendar year are not yet available.
	Interest and dividends paid by the public sector, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product, were as follows:
	a) 1980 to 1990 inclusive: 4.6%
	b) 2000 to 2006 inclusive: 2.2%
	c) 2006 to 2009 inclusive: 2.1%
	For information, I have attached a table, as an Excel spreadsheet, giving data for each of the calendar years 1980 to 2009 inclusive.
	
		
			  Public sector interest and dividends as a proportion of GDP 
			   I  II  II   
			   Public sector: Interest and dividends paid to private sector and rest of world   (£ million)  Gross Domestic Product at current prices  (£ million)  Public sector: Interest and dividends paid as % of GDP  Period  Public sector: Interest and dividends paid as % of GDP 
			 1980 11,567 233,184 5.0   
			 1981 13,838 256,279 5.4   
			 1982 15,144 281,024 5.4   
			 1983 15,737 307,207 5.1   
			 1984 17,220 329,913 5.2   
			 1985 18,743 361,758 5.2   
			 1986 18,920 389,149 4.9   
			 1987 19,612 428,665 4.6   
			 1988 19,949 478,510 4.2   
			 1989 20,850 525,274 4.0   
			   
			 1990 20,720 570,283 3.6 1980 to 1990 4.6 
			 1991 18,523 598,664 3.1   
			 1992 18,691 622,080 3.0   
			 1993 19,896 654,196 3.0   
			 1994 22,813 692,987 3.3   
			 1995 26,054 733,266 3.6   
			 1996 27,476 781,726 3.5   
			 1997 29,163 830,094 3.5   
			 1998 29,930 879,102 3.4   
			 1999 26,136 928,730 2.8   
			 2000 26,200 976,533 2.7   
			 2001 23,722 1,021,828 2.3   
			 2002 21,576 1,075,564 2.0   
			 2003 22,836 1,139,746 2.0   
			 2004 23,892 1,202,956 2.0   
			 2005 26,513 1,254,058 2.1   
			   
			 2006 27,774 1,328,363 2.1 2000 to 2006 2.2 
			 2007 31,774 1,404,845 2.3   
			 2008 32,943 1,445,580 2.3   
			   
			 2009 27,271 1,392,634 2.0 2006 to 2009 2.1 
			 2010 - - -  -

Voluntary Organisations

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has undertaken on the effects of public spending reductions on demand for services provided by the voluntary sector.

Nick Hurd: The Government recognise this is a particularly challenging time for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and are working closely with partners in the sector, across Government, and at the Third Sector Research Centre to understand and mitigate the impact of public spending reductions on the sector. It is currently too early to assess the impact of these reductions on demand for voluntary sector services; however recent research has demonstrated the increasing demand for services as a result of the recession, in conjunction with a more difficult funding situation.
	The Government remain committed to ensuring the sector can play a key role in building a stronger civil society and are working to open up a range of opportunities for the sector. This includes a £100 million fund to support the sector in the transition to delivering public services. We are also working to open up new sources of funding through the Big Society Bank. Throughout this the Government are dedicated to limiting the impact of spending reductions on the sector and are working with local partners and the sector to share best practice in reducing spending.

EC Budget

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had at EU level on the orientation of priorities for the reform of the EU budget in the period 2014-20; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Government engage regularly and actively on EU reform issues with other EU member states and with our EU partners at all levels. Discussion of the EU budget for the post-2013 period began just days ago with the publication of the European Commission's Budget Review document.
	We are keen to engage in a thorough debate around reform of the EU budget. We will highlight in our discussions with our European partners that the Government aim first and foremost to reduce the overall level of EU spending, in line with the tough budgetary decisions that member states are taking domestically. We will also continue to press the case for re-prioritisation of EU-level spending, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness and value-added of EU Budget expenditure within a smaller envelope.

EU Budget

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of  (a) the European Commission's recent proposals for reforms of the EU budget and  (b) the likely effect of such proposals on the future of the UK budgetary rebate.

Justine Greening: We welcome the Commission's focus on the need for reform of the Budget to support the EU's priorities-in particular economic growth. But the Review does not go anywhere near far enough on recognising the economic and fiscal context. We need to see a much stronger focus on prioritisation and where savings can be made. The UK will not support a new EU tax, and such proposals are a distraction from the key issues of how to reduce spending and best support the economy. The Prime Minister also made clear that we will not support any increase to the EU Budget in the next Financial Perspective.
	The document made no specific proposals on the UK abatement. The Government are committed to preserving the UK abatement.

Income Tax: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in Gateshead borough  (a) who will pay no income tax as a result of the increase in personal allowance from April 2011 and  (b) who were in employment but below the income tax threshold in each of the last three years.

Justine Greening: The personal allowance for under 65s will be increased by £1,000 in April 2011, with the gains limited to basic rate taxpayers. The Government have estimated that the 880,000 lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether.
	However, the information requested is not available at district level clue to small survey sample sizes at this level of geography, and because the information is based on 2007-08 survey data which would not be reliable for this purpose.
	Available information on incomes and tax by district based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2007-08) can be found in Table 3.14 'Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority':
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm
	Please take into account the confidence intervals in table 3.14a 'Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority, Confidence Intervals'.
	Estimates of numbers of employed persons earning below the income tax threshold are not available from HM Revenue and Customs data sources as these are fully representative of taxpayers only. Estimates using Office for National Statistics surveys would not be reliable due to small sample sizes associated with the specific information requested.

Shares

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has assessed the effects of different classes of shares with differential voting rights on the long-term profitability of public limited companies.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	On 22 September 2010 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills announced his intention to conduct a comprehensive review into corporate governance and economic short-termism.
	This review will be published shortly and we will consult on this issue.

Cancer: Children

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the average life expectancy of a child with osteosarcoma who is being treated with conventional treatments.

Paul Burstow: We know that the prognosis for children diagnosed with osteosarcoma is significantly better when the cancer is found early and has not spread from the bone to other parts of the body. The national health service is expected to ensure that patients with cancer, are treated by the right person, with the appropriate expertise, within the agreed waiting times standards.
	This Government are committed to improving outcomes for all cancer patients. We have asked National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, to lead a review of the Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS) to align this with proposals in the White Paper to create an NHS that is more responsive to patients' needs. The review will set the direction for cancer services up till 2015, taking account of progress since the CRS was published in December 2007; and show how outcomes can be improved for all cancer patients.
	It is not possible to generate an estimate of life expectancy for children undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma. This is because survival data is not available for people below 15 years of age.

Cancer: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will reverse the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's decision on the funding of life-extending drugs for cancer patients; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We have no plans to do so. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is an independent body. Its decisions are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and its guidance is developed free from political interference.
	An extra £50 million has already been made available in the current financial year to fund additional national health service cancer drugs in England. Building on this, the Cancer Drugs Fund will, from April 2011, provide cancer patients in England with greater access to the clinically effective drugs their doctors think will help extend or improve their quality of life.
	Following publication of the spending review, we will publish our consultation on arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund very soon. This consultation will set out the available funding for the next three years, along with detail on how we anticipate the fund will operate.

Dental Services

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of local dental committees will be in the restructured NHS referred to in his Department's White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS".

Simon Burns: Local dental committees would continue to exist and it is anticipated they would fulfil a similar statutory role under the proposals set out in the White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS". Further details will be available at the introduction of the Health Bill into Parliament, which will follow later this year.

General Practitioners: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 1110-11W, on general practitioners: finance, how the formula for the allocation of funding by the NHS Commissioning Board to GP consortia will take account of levels of need.

Simon Burns: This will be a matter for the NHS Commissioning Board. However, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation will continue to advise the Secretary of State on the equitable distribution of national health service resources during the transition period.
	Currently, a weighted capitation formula, based on a programme of statistical and economics research, determines the target allocation for each primary care trust. The formula is made up of several components including an adjustment to reflect differences in the age and morbidity of the population and an adjustment to reflect other factors that affect the need for health care, including a number linked to deprivation such as the proportion of the local population with no qualifications and the numbers claiming pension credit.
	Further details about the future allocations process and the distribution of resources will be announced in due course.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has put in place to prevent epidemics of sexually-transmitted diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: There are a range of measures in place to control the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and prevent epidemics.
	These include providing people with information about risks and safer sex and through provision of open access confidential genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics. Quick access to GUM services is important to diagnose and reduce the spread of infections. In August 2010, 99.6% of people were offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours at a GUM clinic. This means that more people are being tested early and having infections detected, preventing onward transmission.
	The National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) aims to control the most prevalent STI, Chlamydia, through opportunistic screening of asymptomatic infections and early detection and treatment, therefore preventing complications and reducing onward transmission. Since the launch of the NCSP, over 3.6 million young people have been tested and over 266,000 have tested positive.
	The Health Protection Agency has in place comprehensive surveillance systems that can detect outbreaks as well as monitor trends and inform prevention programmes. The agency also has a lead role locally, regionally and nationally in coordinating investigations and respond to and control of outbreaks/epidemics of STIs such as infectious syphilis and lymphogranuloma venereum.
	We know that more needs to be done to ensure all people regardless of age get the right information and advice at the right time to make responsible choices, to increase awareness of risks, to prevent infection, to access screening and treatment, and we are considering how we can tackle these issues. Later this year we will publish the Public Health White Paper which will set out a cross-government strategy for public health and plans for the new Public Health Service.

Offenders: Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many offenders  (a) were on the basic level of the incentives and earned privilege scheme and  (b) have been placed on that level of the scheme following a finding of guilt at adjudication in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many offenders in each prison establishment were on each level of the incentives and earned privilege scheme on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  for what types of offence against prison rules an offender may be placed on the basic level of the incentives and earned privilege scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: At the end of September 2010, the total number of prisoners on the basic level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme was 1,386. The adjudication process and the incentives and earned privileges scheme are two separate schemes and therefore operate independently of each other. No prisoner can be downgraded simply by an adjudication as this is not one of the punishments available to adjudicators. However, an adjudication could be part of a pattern of behaviour leading to a downgrade and punishments also include forfeiture of any of the privileges available under the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme. Forfeiture can be for up to 42 days for adult prisoners and 21 days for young offenders.
	Data obtained at the end of September 2010 for the three different levels of the incentives and earned privileges scheme at each prison establishment is as follows:
	
		
			  Prison  Basic  Standard  Enhanced 
			 Acklington 7 459 414 
			 Albany 5 243 316 
			 Altcourse 49 682 497 
			 Ashfield 55 199 51 
			 Ashwell 0 38 175 
			 Askham Grange 0 25 101 
			 Aylesbury 19 250 170 
			 Bedford 6 387 94 
			 Belmarsh 22 825 121 
			 Birmingham 4 1,068 357 
			 Blantyre House 0 0 121 
			 Blundeston 3 235 280 
			 Brinsford 9 342 173 
			 Bristol 7 442 139 
			 Brixton 7 612 140 
			 Bronzefield 4 361 128 
			 Buckley Hall 7 115 254 
			 Bullingdon 15 779 260 
			 Bullwood Hall 0 120 107 
			 Bure 4 227 282 
			 Camp Hill 7 222 358 
			 Canterbury 1 173 130 
			 Cardiff 6 627 184 
			 Castington 0 59 23 
			 Channings Wood 6 301 415 
			 Chelmsford 21 491 171 
			 Coldingley 4 168 334 
			 Cookham Wood 18 85 31 
			 Dartmoor 2 221 285 
			 Deerbolt 12 394 86 
			 Doncaster 23 865 212 
			 Dorchester 1 181 39 
			 Dovegate 8 585 557 
			 Downview 2 131 191 
			 Drake Hall 3 78 208 
			 Durham 8 706 206 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 90 
			 Eastwood Park 4 208 107 
			 Edmunds Hill 6 207 166 
			 Elmley 15 830 329 
			 Erlestoke 2 88 277 
			 Everthorpe 15 262 402 
			 Exeter 9 413 95 
			 Featherstone 12 293 348 
			 Feltham 35 508 121 
			 Ford 0 158 380 
			 Forest Bank 29 942 376 
			 Foston Hall 7 130 101 
			 Frankland 33 319 466 
			 Full Sutton 10 196 373 
			 Garth 7 205 626 
			 Gartree 4 97 569 
			 Glen Parva 42 534 145 
			 Gloucester 2 222 86 
			 Grendon 0 23 503 
			 Guys Marsh 5 262 239 
			 Haverigg 20 174 441 
			 Hewell 6 974 401 
			 High Down 11 815 237 
			 Highpoint 22 402 516 
			 Hindley 20 213 79 
			 Hollesley Bay 2 55 298 
			 Holloway 5 342 111 
			 Holme House 6 798 173 
			 Hull 25 601 352 
			 Kennet 3 96 230 
			 Kingston 0 14 184 
			 Kirkham 0 70 507 
			 Kirklevington 0 231 38 
			 Lancaster 1 120 118 
			 Lancaster Farms 14 325 151 
			 Latchmere House 0 0 202 
			 Leeds 3 791 239 
			 Leicester 10 225 121 
			 Lewes 3 340 118 
			 Leyhill 0 97 415 
			 Lincoln 7 412 182 
			 Lindholme 14 372 602 
			 Littlehey 16 666 407 
			 Liverpool 8 970 246 
			 Long Lartin 7 302 305 
			 Low Newton 5 149 62 
			 Lowdham Grange 15 123 787 
			 Maidstone 0 207 386 
			 Manchester 14 816 342 
			 Moorland-closed 14 483 281 
			 Moorland-open 0 35 213 
			 Morton Hall 1 198 107 
			 Mount 14 264 483 
			 New Hall 18 227 126 
			 North Sea Camp 2 17 293 
			 Northallerton 6 145 42 
			 Norwich 14 576 140 
			 Nottingham 17 835 193 
			 Onley 20 234 437 
			 Parc 20 682 415 
			 Parkhurst 13 171 334 
			 Pentonville 23 908 277 
			 Peterborough-female 5 246 83 
			 Peterborough-male 37 461 109 
			 Portland 12 277 172 
			 Preston 13 581 174 
			 Ranby 13 466 576 
			 Reading 0 132 82 
			 Risley 30 500 557 
			 Rochester 17 444 215 
			 Rye Hill 8 148 442 
			 Send 3 67 204 
			 Shepton Mallet 0 7 178 
			 Shrewsbury 1 178 134 
			 Stafford 3 332 394 
			 Standford Hill 1 83 357 
			 Stocken 15 419 399 
			 Stoke Heath 27 390 152 
			 Styal 5 304 111 
			 Sudbury 3 50 518 
			 Swaleside 26 309 750 
			 Swansea 3 315 106 
			 Swinfen Hall 14 252 354 
			 Thorn Cross 7 87 197 
			 Usk/Prescoed 0 99 329 
			 Verne 10 171 420 
			 Wakefield 21 392 327 
			 Wandsworth 16 1,252 346 
			 Warren Hill 19 94 62 
			 Wayland 19 499 478 
			 Wealstun 6 331 402 
			 Wellingborough 7 229 279 
			 Werrington 16 64 29 
			 Wetherby 12 220 90 
			 Whatton 3 252 565 
			 Whitemoor 3 151 295 
			 Winchester 5 528 158 
			 Wolds 1 111 278 
			 Woodhill 17 610 170 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 3 1,064 191 
			 Wymott 4 632 519 
			 Total 1,386 46,815 36,202 
		
	
	Prisoners are placed on basic level where they have failed to meet local criteria for admission to standard and enhanced levels. The types of behaviour for which prisoners might, following an Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme review, be placed on basic would include assault, bullying or intimidating behaviour, being in possession of unauthorised drugs or alcohol, non compliance with mandatory drug testing and theft.

Terrorism: Compensation

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those seriously injured in the 7/7 attacks in London are still awaiting compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The vast majority of cases lodged with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority have been settled. They received 650 claims for compensation in the years following the London bombings, and are working to finalise five remaining cases. CICA have made interim payments in all the outstanding cases.

Better Regulation Executive

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what short-term measures the Better Regulation Executive has considered to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses.

Mark Prisk: The BRE is working with Departments to identify regulation which is overly burdensome, particularly on small businesses, and support policy makers in using non-regulatory approaches.
	We sought suggestions from SMEs and members of the public on regulations to repeal or amend through the 'Your Freedom' website and are currently working through the 2,500 responses. The BRE are also undertaking a series of regional visits, speaking to SMEs all over the country to further identify ways to improve the business environment.
	The Government introduced the 'One-in, One-out' rule last month. This means that no new regulations which impose costs on business or civil society organisations can be brought in without regulation of an equivalent value being removed. This is a significant step in stemming the flow of regulation and will focus Whitehall's attention on finding alternatives to regulation. The BRE will manage and support this cross-Government programme.
	This Department has also announced a series of measures to help SMEs, which include:
	Extended the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) by £200 million at June's Budget, benefiting around 2,000 extra small businesses. We have also announced two new capital funds for SMEs with growth potential, and will shortly respond to the recent Green Paper on the future of business finance.
	A rise in entrepreneurs' relief lifetime limit from £2 million to £5 million, and a reduction in small profits rate (small companies' rate) from 21% to 20%.
	Changes to national insurance contributions (NIC), raising the employers' threshold to increase the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs by 650,000 and introducing a regional employer NIC holiday to encourage new businesses in selected regions to take on employees.

Better Regulation Executive

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff of the Better Regulation Executive work in other Government departments.

Mark Prisk: There are currently no Better Regulation Executive staff working in other Government Departments. However, Better Regulation Executive staff are working in partnership with staff in Better Regulation Units and policy staff in other Government Departments.

Local Economic Partnerships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the oral answer of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, column 487, on local economic partnerships, what the scope of the sub-regional White Paper will be; and whether it will include the role of local enterprise partnerships in relation to the management of the European Regional Development Fund programme.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 21 October 2010
	 The sub-regional White Paper will set out the Government's approach to economic development following abolition of the regional development agencies, including the approach to management of the European regional development fund programme.

Local Economic Partnerships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the oral answer of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, column 487, on local economic partnerships, what discussions  (a) ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with the Department of Communities and Local Government on the content of the sub-regional White Paper.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 21 October 2010
	All Departments and Ministers with an interest in the sub-regional White Paper, including the Department of Communities and Local Government, have been involved in discussions regarding its content.

Students: Loans

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on funding for student support of any changes to resource accounting and budgeting charges on student loans consequent on implementation of the proposals in the Browne Review of higher education funding.

David Willetts: The RAB charge and student support funding for 2011-12 and future years will depend on the outcome of the comprehensive spending review which the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 20 October, and on the response to the Browne review of Higher Education and Student Finance. This is a substantial report and we shall consult further on some of the more detailed proposals before making specific recommendations to Parliament, with a view to implementing the changes for students entering higher education in autumn 2012.

Telephone Services: Fraud

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to businesses of dial-through fraud.

Edward Vaizey: This Department has made no such estimate. The Telecommunications United Kingdom Fraud Forum (TUFF) surveyed its members in 2009, it found that 98% of businesses that were hit by hackers also suffered losses through dial through fraud.

Telephone Services: Missing Persons

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department is making on the implementation of his Department's proposals on  (a) the 116 000 number and  (b) missing people's existing helpline numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: Reservation and assignment of the 116 000 number and all other reserved numbers in the 116 numbering range is a matter for the regulator Ofcom. In allocating interested service providers to numbers Ofcom are guided by an advisory committee established under the Contact Council and now co-ordinated by the Department for Business.
	116 000 was the inaugural and only number established at the time of the original European Commission Decision (2007/116/EC). Ofcom launched a comparative selection process to identify a service provider for the "Hotline for Missing Children" in February 2009. As a result 116 000 was allocated to the charity Missing People and its chosen communications provider BT on 17 May 2010. 116 000 is now operational alongside Missing People's existing numbers.
	Low key promotion of the 116 000 number will commence in November 2010 at selected UK entry points. Pan-European marketing material provided by Missing Children Europe will be used. Operational readiness will then be assessed, leading to a high profile launch of 116 000 in April 2012. At that point, 116 000 will become Missing People's prime contact number, replacing the promotion of the existing three helpline numbers.

UK Intellectual Property Office: Internet

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  on how many occasions and for what periods the website of the Intellectual Property Office has been unresponsive as a result of denial of service attacks in the last three years;
	(2)  what reports he has received on the denial of service attacks on the Intellectual Property Office's website on 16 October 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what reports he has received on denial of service attacks undertaken on websites carried out under the banner of Operation Payback; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: This Department was approached by one private sector company that was suffering a denial of service attack attributed to Operation Payback. Officials advised that company where to seek advice and to report the attack to the police. In the past week this Department has been working with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) on the similar attack on their website. This is the first time in the last three years that the Intellectual Property Office website has been unresponsive as a result of denial of service attacks. The IPO have taken advice from experts within Government and their service has now been restored. The Government clearly abhor this sort of direct action and the impact it has on businesses consumers and citizens who rely on access to Government websites for the delivery of important services; and call on those taking part to behave responsibly. The question as to whether this can be regarded as a criminal act is a matter for the appropriate authorities.

Heat Pumps

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of installed heat pumps which fail to meet the required EU standard on coefficient of performance.

Gregory Barker: The EU standard, given in Annex VII of Directive 2009/28/EC, is based on the total useable heat delivered, the average seasonal performance factor and the efficiency of electrical generation. As the Commission have yet to establish how member states are to estimate these factors it is not possible to estimate the proportion of installed heat pumps that will fail to meet that standard.
	Interim results from recent field trials show there is a significant range of domestic heat pump performance, from good to disappointing. Some of the reasons for poor performance are understood and others are being investigated in these ongoing trials. This information should help us to estimate the proportion that may fail to meet the required standard-once the standard has been established.

Housing: Immigrants

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's most recent assessment is of the effects on housing demand of immigration; what equivalent assessments his Department has made since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The potential future demand for housing can be informed by CLG's household projections. The latest projections were published on the CLG website in March 2009:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/2031households0309
	and are based on the 2006-based population projections produced by the Office for National Statistics. They provide a long -term view of the net growth in the number of households given a projected population and previous demographic trends. As such the household projections do not take into account changes in policy or economic circumstances that may have a material effect on future household formation and do not explicitly reflect the different tenure pattern and household formation of migrant groups. The household projections reflect a net position; the number of newly forming households net of those that dissolve. Using the zero net migration population variant it is estimated that net international migration could account, on average, for 40% of the net growth in households in England over the projection period from 2006 to 2031.
	However, this does not directly equate to the actual effective demand for housing. This will also be determined by factors such as the ability of individual households to meet the cost of housing which is in turn influenced by the wider economic context. These projections also do not take into account the 2008-based population projections, subsequently published by the ONS, which include lower projected levels of net international migration. CLG expect to publish 2008-based household projections in November 2010.
	Equivalent assessments were made for the household projections from a 2003-base and 2004-base. Using the zero net migration population variant in the 2004-based projections it was estimated that net international migration could account, on average, for around a third of the net growth in households in England to 2026. The equivalent estimate in the 2003-based projections was that net international migration accounted for around a quarter of household growth from 2003 to 2026.

Mayors: Referendums

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of holding confirmatory referendums on directly-elected mayors in each of the 12 largest cities in England;
	(2)  whether he plans to provide funds for the holding of confirmatory referendums on directly-elected mayors in the 12 largest cities in England.

Bob Neill: Issues relating to the implementation of the coalition agreement commitment to create directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors will be addressed when the Localism Bill is presented to Parliament.

Planning

Kris Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to give local councils and neighbourhoods more powers to take decisions on planning; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The coalition Government is committed to a radical reform of the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication, "Open Source Planning".
	We have already made a good start on returning power to local authorities by scrapping regional strategies and their centrally imposed building targets and scrapping housing density targets. Our action on re-designating back gardens and abolishing the unaccountable Infrastructure Planning Commission also means more control for the local level.
	Further proposals to decentralise planning back to local authorities and neighbourhoods will be set out in the Localism Bill.